house guests.

i'm having a rough day, today.

there are so many things that i feel like 

i need to do 

(with having Christmas only 5 days away).

but a bigger part of this struggle is that there are so many things that 

i want to do.

which i can't.

well, not when i want to.

and let's be honest here. forget about getting anything done,

how about finishing a thought.

a dear friend recently told me that my life with these children 

is like i have out of town guests staying with me 24/7. 

she is absolutely right.

i have some 

very loud,

demanding, 

out of town guests.

Watch and pray 

so that you will not fall into temptation. 

The spirit is willing, but the body is weak

Matthew 26:41

but i know that my job today,

my job right now,

is to be 

an obedient child of God,

a wife to my husband and

a mother to my children. 

 Then Jesus said to his disciples, 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves

and take up their cross and follow me.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it,

but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Matthew 16:24-25

He must become greater; I must become less.

John 3:30

and really, who wouldn't want to be around this demanding house guest?

The shepherds returned, 
glorifying and praising God 
for all the things they had heard and seen,
which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:20

this week's voting is a bit different. 

click on the icon above and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page 

where you will have to leave a comment saying you are voting for capturing motherhood.

and, anonymous votes will not be counted. 

586. my 90 year old grandmother who not only reads this blog 
but is completely computer literate.

587. an encouraging email that arrives at the most perfect moment

588. the lovely rain

589. how green the grass looks in the rain

590. being in a cloud